Baseball’s Big Hits and Friendly Faces: A Simple Guide to the All-Star Fun

The Home Run Derby: Timing Trouble and a Blast from the Past

The Home Run Derby is a fun contest where baseball players try to hit the ball over the fence as many times as they can. Here’s what happened recently in Philadelphia:

• Munetaka Murakami (a big hitter for the White Sox) joined the Derby on Monday.
• His swing (the way he swings the bat) was fine, but his timing was off. That means he swung at the wrong moment.
• He hit 9 home runs, but that wasn’t enough to pass the first round.
• The winner was Jordan Walker of the Cardinals.

If Murakami had played in 1990, he might have done better! Why? Let’s look back:

1. The last time the All-Star Game was at Wrigley Field (the Cubs’ home) was 1990.
2. That year’s Home Run Derby was super weak—only 5 home runs total were hit!
3. Ryne Sandberg (Cubs) won by hitting 3 of those 5.
4. Famous sluggers like Ken Griffey Jr., Jose Canseco, Cecil Fielder, Darryl Strawberry, and Bobby Bonilla didn’t hit any.

Important: The wind was the big reason! Thirty-six years ago, after fans saw almost no home runs, a writer named Ray Sons joked that the “baseball gods” were punishing Wrigley for adding night-game lights.

Getting Ready for Wrigley in 2027

If players and owners don’t argue and stop the season, the All-Star Game will return to Wrigley Field in July 2027.

• Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong said: “It’s going to be crazy! Wrigleyville is fun every day, and it’ll be super packed. But Wrigley is beautiful and will be great for everyone to see.”
• He also said about the Derby: “I hope the wind is blowing out” (so balls fly far).

Kyle Schwarber (now Phillies, was Cubs) was the runner-up at Monday’s Derby in Philadelphia. He was also runner-up in 2018 for the Cubs. He said:

• “The Derby at Wrigley? Man, hopefully the wind is blowing out.”
• He’s not sure if he wants to join that Derby: “I don’t know, we’ll see.”

Crow-Armstrong might join because it’s at home, but he said: “It is a tiring couple of hours, and my swing isn’t built for that.”

(The original article included a video clip from the event that you can imagine shows these happy players.)

MVP Talk: Shohei Ohtani and Pete Crow-Armstrong

The MVP (Most Valuable Player, like the best player award) race in the National League:

• Pete Crow-Armstrong is second in odds to win MVP.
• The player ahead of him is Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers megastar. The odds are not close at all!
• Ohtani skipped the All-Star Game to treat a sore knee.
• Crow-Armstrong joked: “I would love to dethrone him, but I don’t know how. Unless I go to a pitching lab and become a closer!” (A closer is a pitcher who finishes the game.)

Jordan Walker’s Wish: More Kids Playing Baseball

Jordan Walker’s Derby win was wonderful for two reasons:

• He won $1 million—that’s more than his 2026 salary of $799,400 (just above the league minimum).
• He hopes his win encourages Black kids to play baseball.

Facts to know:

• This season, only 6.8% of MLB players are Black (a small rise from 2025 but still low).
• Walker remembered playing as a kid on an all-Black team called the Black Yankees, coached by his grandfather.
• He said: “I just want them to know baseball is also a sport for them, that it’s fun, and I want more representation.”

Important: Representation matters! Walker wants every child to feel baseball is for them.

Best Glove at Shortstop

A reporter asked CJ Abrams (the Nationals’ starting shortstop—a player who defends between second and third base) who the best defensive shortstop is.

• Abrams said: “There’s a lot of great shortstops. [The Cubs’] Dansby Swanson is up there.”
• He added: “All around, he’s a great player. Defensively, the way he gets to the ball, his range. He doesn’t make any mistakes, really. I’ve never seen him make a mistake.”

A Closer’s Long Journey: Aroldis Chapman

Ten years ago, Cubs manager Joe Maddon used his closer Aroldis Chapman a LOT to try to win the World Series. Chapman survived that heavy use!

• Now he’s with the Red Sox and still good: a 19-save All-Star. (A save is when a pitcher keeps the lead to end the game.)
• Chapman said: “I just kept working and dedicating myself. Good and bad years, but my mindset stayed the same.”
• Old Cubs friends Anthony Rizzo and David Ross want him on their “Lovable Reunion” podcast, but he says that will wait.

Summary

In simple words: The Home Run Derby showed Murakami’s timing was off while Jordan Walker won big. Long ago in 1990, Wrigley’s wind killed home runs. In 2027, the All-Star Game returns to Wrigley, and players hope for helpful wind. Crow-Armstrong trails Ohtani for MVP but jokes about pitching. Walker wants more Black kids in baseball. Swanson gets praise as a top defender. Chapman proves closers can last a long time. Baseball is full of stories!

FAQ

1. What is the Home Run Derby?
It’s a contest during All-Star week where players try to hit the most home runs (balls that fly over the fence) in a time limit.

2. Why were there so few home runs in the 1990 Derby at Wrigley?
The wind at Wrigley Field was blowing in, keeping balls inside the park. A writer joked it was the “baseball gods” punishing the park for adding lights.

3. Who is Shohei Ohtani?
He is a superstar player for the Dodgers, considered the best in the National League. He sat out the All-Star Game to rest his knee.

4. What does a “closer” do in baseball?
A closer is a pitcher who comes in near the end of the game to protect a lead and earn a “save” if the team wins.

5. Why does Jordan Walker want more Black players in MLB?
Because only 6.8% of players are Black today, and he wants all kids to see baseball as a fun sport for them, just like his childhood “Black Yankees” team.